1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laryngoscope and more particularly to a cushioning device for a laryngoscope which is not only sterilizable and disposable, but which also protects the upper teeth of a patient undergoing an endotracheal intubation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Although there is a risk of possible damage to the upper teeth of patents, laryngoscopes are routinely used to facilitate endotracheal intubation such as during surgery to permit the patients to breathe and/or to administer anesthesia. In addition, laryngoscopes are utilized to displace the tongue and epiglottis thereby permitting direct visualization of the glottis through the mouth opening. The standard method for performing intubation involves placing a patient in a supine position, tilting his head backward as far as possible and distending his lower jaw to open his mouth widely. A rigid blade, which can be straight or slightly curved, then is inserted through his mouth into his throat passageway to displace the tongue and epiglottis thereby exposing the glottis. Thereafter, the desired visual observation can be achieved, the anesthetic can be applied and/or the mechanical ventilation may be effected.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,465, entitled Laryngoscope Blade, issued to Gabor Racz and Forrest Allen on Oct. 20, 1981, teaches a blade for a laryngoscope which includes a base portion and projecting flange portion. The flange portion extends along part of the base portion and is pivotally mounted with respect thereto. A biasing mechanism provides a preselected bias force on the flange portion to hold the flange portion in projecting position. If in using the laryngoscope blade the flange portion contacts the patient's upper teeth, the flange porton pivots when the force applied exceeds the predetermined bias force.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,570, entitled Laryngoscope, issued to John T. Roberts on May 24, 1983, teaches a laryngoscope which includes a blade and a handle having a rigid handle section and a movable handle section. The movable handle section is adapted to be pivoted and locked at a desired position relative to the rigid handle section prior to use with a patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,350,154, entitled Teeth Protecting Device, issued to Elliot V. Feldbau on Sept. 21, 1982, teaches a teeth protecting device which is structured to cling to the teeth with sufficient tenacity so that the teeth protecting device remains secure throughout oral exploration and/or corrective measures and yet so that the teeth protecting device is removable without dislodging pre-existing dental repair work and/or weakly anchored teeth. The provision of mouth-protecting and/or teeth protecting devices for dental, medical and athletic purposes are described in the following patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,705,492, 3,016,052, 3,124,129, 3,236,235, 3,513,838, 3,864,832.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,766,909, entitled Laryngoscope with Disposable Blade and Light Guide, issued to Ahmet M. Ozbey on Oct. 23, 1973, teaches a laryngoscope which includes a wireless, disposable blade containing a relatively stiff light guide for transmitting light from a light source which is associated with the handle to a point substantially midway between the ends of an upper curved section of the disposable blade. The disposable blade is formed of a relatively soft plastic material and has a straight light guide. An adaptor connects the disposable blade to the handle and which mounts the light source in a position adjacent one end of the light guide.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,426,749, entitled Disposable Cover for Laryngoscope Blade, issued to John Anthony Jephcott on Feb. 11, 1969, teaches a disposable cover for a laryngoscope blade. The disposable cover is formed of presterilized, translucent material and is adapted to be pulled over the laryngoscope blade.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,507,272, entitled Laryngoscope, issued to Asmund S. Laerdal on Apr. 21, 1970, teaches a laryngoscope blade which is formed of soft plastic material and upon which a light source is mounted near the distal end of the laryngoscope blade.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,350, entitled Means for Applying Topical Anesthesia for Use with a Laryngoscope, issued to Alan J. Breslau and Bernard Broad on Feb. 21, 1984, teaches a laryngoscope which includes a device for applying topical anesthesia.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,458, entitled Laryngoscope, issued to Michael S. Upster on Mar. 20, 1984, teaches a laryngoscope which includes a blade which is curved and tubular and which has an improved lighting mechanism for illuminating the forward end of the blade.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,354,471, entitled Laryngoscope, issued to Robert R. MacIntosh on Aug. 18, 1943, teaches a laryngoscope which includes a blade which is curved.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,289,226, entitled Laryngeal Speculum, issued to Richard von Fogregger on July 7, 1942, teaches a laryngoscope which includes a blade which is straight.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,646,036, entitled Foldable and Separable Laryngoscope, issued to William G. Allyn and Charles Sewell Cook on July 21, 1953, teaches a foldable and separable laryngoscope which includes a blade which is straight.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,909, entitled Laryngoscope, issued to Michael J. Rieser on Jan. 17, 1984, teaches an improved laryngeal speculum for examining the throat and larynx of a patient. The laryngeal speculum includes an elongated blade, an elongated handle and neck which interconnects the elongated blade and the elongated handle. The neck is shaped, contoured and dimensioned such that when the elongated blade is positioned within the mouth and throat of a patient and lifting force is exerted on the handle there will be no force applied to the upper teeth which have often been used as a fulcrum about which to rotate the handle thereby resulting in numerous broken teeth.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,280, entitled Laryngoscope including a Disposable Blade and its Method Use, issued to Michael S. Upster on Sept. 27, 1983, teaches a laryngoscope which includes a separate disposable blade.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,598,113, entitled Disposable Laryngoscope Construction, issued to William C. Moore on Aug. 10, 1971, teaches a disposable laryngoscope which includes a unitary plastic blade and handle assembly which includes a blade portion and a handle portion and which forms a disposable part. The handle portion of the unitary plastic blade and handle assembly is hollow and, when it is in use, contains a light unit which includes batteries, a lamp and an operating switch. The unitary plastic blade and hand assembly includes an optical fiber bundle for carrying light from the lamp within the handle portion to a point near the distal end of the blade portion. The light unit is not disposable and is removed for reuse before the unitary plastic blade and hand assembly is thrown away.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,514, entitled Laryngoscope, issued to John P. Huffman and Carl L. Foltz on Nov. 13, 1973, teaches a laryngoscope which allows concurent direct and indirect viewing of the larynx, especially when direct viewing is difficult. Such indirect viewing is permitted by the use of a prism which is formed out of a plastic material and which also functions as a "bite block".